Continuance
by Truewind
Summary: With Ernest dead, the rest of the Pilots must try to pick up the pieces and move on. The Crow leaves G.I.S. for an unknown purpose, and Teela shows weakness for the first time.
1. Curriculum 13: Goddess

Note from the Author: I don't own MK, the credit for this brilliant little anime/manga goes to someone else. I'll do my best to keep the background canon, but if I feel the need to change something, I shall. Don't complain, I'm doing this for free. All I can really promise you for this fic is that it will be well written. Yes, it is a continuation, starting up after the last episode of the anime. I don't own the tanks, unfortunately, so the events of the manga are unknown to me. Feel free to inform me if I've made a particularly heinous mistake. Most importantly, enjoy, it's what makes it all worthwhile.

~ Truewind (Otherwise known as Rioroute)

Curriculum 13: Goddess

"Hikura-san? May I have a word with you?" 

The aide flinched as Yu turned to face him; the taciturn Pilot's dislike of interruptions was nearly legendary. However, the gaze that Yu turned on him held nothing of annoyance, simply absolute calm and an acute coldness that made his youthful face seem hard. A long, slender blade was in his hand, though thankfully not pointed anywhere near the aide. It was a lovely creation if one could get past its deadly nature; old runes from some ancient language marked in gold on black steel upon its surface. When Yu spoke, the aide needed to snap his attention away from the sword and back to the Pilot who carried it.

"Hai. What is it that you need?"

Hand shaking slightly, the aide presented a tablet from the group of for he held in the crook of his arm. Yu noted the man's consternation with some private amusement, then sheathed his blade traditionally. The process involved swinging the haft up before himself (bringing the blade perilously close to the aide's rather large nose), then sliding the sword fluidly into its scabbard, which hung at his waist. Much as he had expected, the aide let out a small squeak of terror and bolted from the room, dropping the tablet in his haste. Face stony, Yu bent down to retrieve the tablet and scanned the memo quickly.

"Brother, was that really necessary?"

Cool hands and arms garbed in the silk of their home colony closed about his waist from behind, but he did not turn to look at her, continuing to read instead.

"It was the swiftest way to obtain the Instructor's report. Had I allowed the man the luxury of protocol, we would have wasted valuable time with pleasantries."

In a word, Yu might be described as "expedient". 

"Only a few moments, onii-san."

"A few moments in battle is death, sister. You have much yet to learn."

Kazuhi simply hugged him closer to herself, and he sighed.

Rioroute's tablet was no less difficult for the high-strung aide to deliver, if in a different way. The door to the apartments of Agui Kemaia's Pilot was open, and the aide had the foolish misfortune to enter unannounced. As a result, he found the esteemed Pilot locked in passionate battle with his Repairer. Muted bumps and thumps marked their wrestling match, and the aide looked on with some embarrassment.

"Er…Mr. Vilgyna?" he ventured hopefully. Instantly, Rioroute extracted himself from the tangle of limbs, and was at the aide's side before the man could blink.

"That'd be me." He said, grinning like a madman. "What do you want? We were relaxing."

"Ha! You call _that_ relaxing? I knew you had a few screws loose, Rio, but I never knew they were _that_ loose!" yelled Phil from her position on the floor. Her knees were bent beneath herself, and she glared up at her partner wrathfully. "I'll bet Erts never insults _his_ Repairer like that!"

To the aide's further astonishment, Rioroute blew a raspberry at Phil and laughed loudly. "That's because _his _Repairer isn't a violent girl with a temper! And _she_ doesn't throw things at him."

"Why you little…"

Their battle erupted anew from there, and the aide decided that it was time to retreat from the fray. Surreptitiously, he deposited Rioroute's copy of the report on the desk next to the door, then departed. He let out a sigh as the electronic door slid shut behind him.

__

I wonder if one of the requirements for becoming a Pilot is insanity. He thought, chuckling as he moved on, just two copies of Hijikata's report left to deliver.

When he arrived at the quarters of Erts Virny Cocteau, the door opened before he could even punch the hail code into the console, and Pilot reached out for the tablet. Smiling wanly, Erts made a rather pitiful figure, his eyes sleepy-looking and his skin pale, but he had already proven himself to be an excellent Pilot in the recent flood of battles with VICTIM. Beyond the Pilot, the aide saw that the room's video console had been activated; a boy with brown hair was waiting with some apparent impatience on the other side.

"Mr. Cocteau, this is…"

"Hijikata's report. Yes, I know. Thank you, and please convey my regards to the Instructor when you see him next. I'm sure you are quite busy with your tasks, and can spare little time."

Erts turned away from the aide then, and the door slid shut behind him. As the aide turned to leave, softly whispered words reached his ears.

"Next time, remember to knock on Rio's door."

Feeling fairly confident now, if a little confused, the aide made his way to Gareas' apartments with a spring in his step. When he got there, though, the Pilot did not answer the hail signal, which meant either he was not inside, or wished to be left alone. Knowing that the report he carried was important enough to merit the Pilot's immediate attention, the aide checked his portable console, then frowned. Gareas was not marked on the mini-map of G.I.S., which meant that his Repairer had encrypted the code so that only certain people could track him.

"I will deliver it to him."

Nearly discarding his skin from surprise, the aide whipped around to see the figure of the Top among Pilots, Teela Zain Elmes.

__

She's as beautiful as they say. Was the first thought to cross his mind as he set eyes upon the green-haired vision of loveliness. Numbly, he extended the last tablet, and she received it briskly. Moments later, she was gone, without a thanks or even a dismissal. The aide noticed that she, like Gareas, did not appear on his map.

"So what's it like, Erts? You know, having your very own Goddess? I'll bet it's awesome, you're really lucky."

Erts gazed thoughtfully at the image of his friend, carefully arranging his thoughts so that they portrayed exactly what he wanted to say.

"I'm not really an expert, Zero, I have not been a Pilot for very long." A necessary disclaimer, since Zero tended to think overly much of Erts and his opinions, something Erts himself did not think was healthy. It reminded him of the way that Gareas had solicited Ernest's opinions. "My impression is that it is a mixture of many feelings at once. It is very different from the PRO-ING. There is a presence inside each of the Ingrids, and they all give me a feeling of great strength." He remembered the sensations of the cockpit; floating, yet at the same time supported from all directions. Heritage had embraced him often during battle, as if she needed contact every so often to make absolutely certain that he was still there. Erts had the unnerving feeling that she had made a personal vow not to let him go as she had Ernest, and she had grown even more attached to Erts than she had been to Ernest. This attachment showed in their extremely high synchronization levels, but Erts could not help but wonder if it would one day hinder the Pilot who came after him. He thought for a few moments on that, then memory struck him suddenly. "You have been inside the cockpit of Eeva Leena, have you not?"

Zero waved that revelation away nonchalantly.

"Only for a little while, and she didn't seem like she liked me much. Are they treating you good up there? That Gareas guy isn't giving you any trouble, is he? I'll come up there, Goddess or no, if he messes with you."

Erts almost laughed, since Zero's expression was so comically serious, but stopped himself when he realized that Zero probably would do it, even if he had to steal a shuttle.

"I am well, Zero, please do not worry about me."

Zero seemed content simply to talk at him after that, so he took the moment to think. Truthfully, his relations with Gareas were terribly strained, though they tended to avoid each other outside of duty. __

Gareas avoids me because I look like my brother, and I stay away from Gareas because… He paused in his thoughts, murmuring an appropriate agreement to one of Zero's statements. _I suppose I avoid him because I fear what he may yet be driven to do._

Gareas, never completely stable even before the incident, became even more volatile and outgoing with the passing of his dearest friend. __

He exists and remains sane only because of his close ties to those around him. Between them, Rioroute, Leena, and Ernest were his support, a triangle of friendship that he relied on for some time. Now, one of those supports is gone, and he is lost without it.

Another part of him, the child he'd thought to have left behind at G.O.A., asked, __

How can you be so cold? He was your brother, and your friend as well! You needed Ernest as much as Gareas, maybe more. Be realistic, you might be as crazy as he is.

"ERTS!"

He started, Zero's yell had been loud. The Candidate looked properly abashed as Erts frowned at him, but recovered quickly and smiled impishly.

"You zoned out for a while there."

"My apologies, Zero, I was thinking."

Talking with Zero always did that to him, it provoked uncomfortable thoughts.

__

But that's not really a bad thing, in a way.

"Don't apologize, just tell me all about it! What's G.I.S. like? Is your new Repairer nice?" Zero turned away for a moment, and returned with a disconsolate frown. "Aw, crap, time's up. Tell me about it next time, okay?'

Erts nodded solemnly.

"Okay, see you later!"

As Zero's face disappeared from the screen, Erts sat back in his chair and tried to marshal his thoughts again. Zero had asked what his Goddess was like, and Erts realized that he did not really know.

__

Heltage…

Hijikata's report lay idle on his desk.

"Every automic part we add to the Pilot of Agui Kemaia will inevitably reduce his EX count."

Teela's eyes appeared warm as she looked at the doctor who spoke, yet they were somehow hollow. The woman's eyes truly were windows, but there was nothing to see through them, or if there was, it was well hidden.

"Rioroute will remain as Pilot of Agui Kemaia." She replied simply.

"But…but his EX count has fallen to near-critical levels!" spluttered the harried doctor. Phil, who stood off to the side, clipboard in hand, walked over to the glass window that separated her from the examination pod that held her partner. She exchanged a glance with Teela, then turned to the doctor.

"Did you ever wonder why we insisted that Rio be allowed to keep his headband on during your tests, Doctor?"

He shook his head, and she turned back to the pod. She tapped the com link at her wrist twice and spoke into it.

"Rio, take it off. It's time you stopped hiding."

Inside the pod, the doctor was shocked to see Rioroute shake his head slightly.

"We gave him enough sedatives to put down a man twice his size! How can he possibly…"

A piercing glare from Teela cut him off. Phil was still coaxing her Pilot.

"Rio, I know it's hard, and it'll be different, but we've got Erts around now. He'll understand. _I_ understand. Please, take off the headband. Augi needs you."

The doctor had heard of feats of stamina coming from the defensive Pilots who passed through this office that would amaze anyone, but never anything like this. Under the influence of four different sedatives, the big Pilot actually managed to lift his arms up and untie the ever-present headband he wore. Then, there was no time for amazement. The scanners that tracked EX went haywire, counting levels of psychic activity that rivaled an aroused Gareas for intensity. Inside the examination pod, Rioroute's face was a contorted mask of pain, his body tensed with agony. Phil buried her face in Teela's shoulder and began to weep as the cold, feminine voice of the main computer laid down the verdict.

__

"New EX manifestation detected in subject Rioroute Vilygna, Pilot of Prototype Ingrid, Augi Kemaia. Deliberating." The cold voice paused for only a moment before stating, _"EX parameters determined. Match found in archives of previously documented EX manifestations. EX entry code: 0819. EX entry label: Empathy. EX description: 'The ability to sense and/or manipulate the thought processes of emotion. Databank entries exhausted. Concluding inquiry."_

As the doctor gaped, trying desperately to sort out the numbers the computers were spewing out, Teela patted Phil's shoulder comfortingly, eyes seeing something beyond the room.

"It has begun." She said softly.

In another part of the spacecraft called G.I.S., Leena Fujimura was enjoying a nice, hot bath. Steamy vapor made her sweat, but she relished the feeling of impurities being slowly washed away. The bubbles were delightful, she could see why Phil had recommended them. Bubblebaths were one of the few luxuries with the potential to be reproduced in space, but Leena rarely had any time for any luxury at all.

__

Eeva Leena is in top shape, she thought, _we haven't had a battle for days. Garu's about to explode._

She sank further into the soapy water with a sigh.

__

I know he's still mourning for Ernest, we all are, but he's just got to move on! This isn't healthy, it's wearing him out. I've always been able to get him to open up before, so why won't he talk to me now? He hardly says anything to me, and he's right across the hall from me. And when he does talk, it's always about Eeva Leena, or battle tactics.

Frustration set in, but she tried not to let it ruin her bath. She refrained from lashing out at anything, since that might spill some of the hot water, but that did not prevent her from seething. Footsteps met her ears from behind the door, moving quickly and heavily. Leena ignored them; the door was locked, and only she knew the code make it open.

"Minerva!" cried out a familiar voice. Leena gasped.

__

Garu, no, don't come in here! Dammit, I knew I shouldn't have given him the skeleton key!

Her partner burst into the bathroom, face red with rage. "They did something to Rio! Leena, you've got to come, those bastards are hurting him!"

As Leena wondered what could possibly be happening to Rioroute that would distress Garu so, her partner searched the bathroom for her. When he saw that she was in the bath, he blushed even redder and fled from the room, presumably to wait in the sitting room. She glared at his back for a moment, then sighed and stepped out of the hot water, grabbing a towel off of the rack to dry herself off.

__

Ah, well, I wasn't really enjoying the bath anymore anyway.

Erts felt the empathic lash, of course he did. It was obviously instinctive, and held nothing back as a trained attack might.

__

No one on G.O.A. can generate a blast of this magnitude. I certainly can't do this, and I was the best there. But…then who is it?

Before he could begin to narrow down the long list of possibilities, the door slid open behind him. He tried to stand up, but another blast of emotion smashed into him, and he swayed. Strong arms caught him, and he was surprised to see Yu holding him up. In the doorway, Tune and Kazuhi stood; Kazuhi stock still and grim, while his own Repairer trembled.

"It's Rio, Erts." Said Tune, and he seized on the information gratefully. Knowing the source, he was able to throw up a shield that would protect him from the worst effects of the psychic blasts. He still felt them, but at least they were bearable. Yu did not say anything, he simply supported Erts until the younger boy was able to walk on his own. Then, all four of them went to the medical wing.

ON board G.O.A., Clay Cliff Fortran frowned at the computer screen before him, somewhat perturbed. A portrait of Augi Kemaia's Pilot was displayed on the screen alongside his vital statistics. Clay was frowning because it appeared that, upon review of the past several months, Rioroute's EX levels were beginning to drop alarmingly.

__

Strange thing about it is that he's been low on reserves for months now, at least according to these records. So why is he still Pilot? Very interesting…

Further searches of the records brought up nothing, and his time was past being up anyway. He shut down the console and cleared out of the computer lab before the attendant could kick him out. A familiar glare met him as he stepped through the doorway. 

"Saki! How nice to er…see you!" He said, trying to squirm away. 

"Oh no you don't, Mr. Fortran! What exactly have you been up to in there? I know very well you've been hacking into G.I.S.' mainframe, and I'd like to know why. We can't afford to lose any more ranks because of your stupidity! So spit it out, buddy." 

He sighed and spread his hands, there was no getting around her when she talked like _that_. "Why do you think I might be searching G.I.S. records?" he temporized. 

"If I knew that, would I be asking? Clay, if you get caught, you'll get us both in trouble!" Her tone switched from ire to concern so swiftly he wondered how she managed it. 

"So I just won't get caught." He shrugged. 

"Tell me why, _now_." 

"All right, you've got me. I did it because…" 

He stopped suddenly, mid-sentence. Saki waved her hands around in front of his face, but he did not see her. The floor fell away from him and vanished. Saki's voice still came to him, frightened and frantic, but it seemed that it came from very far away. Blackness surrounded him, and he felt oddly peaceful, simply floating around in what appeared to be open space. He did not want for oxygen or light, it was blissful. It did not last for very long, and he was soon thrust rudely into the confines of steel and harsh light that made up G.I.S. A room burst into existence around him, medical instruments and huge computers appearing everywhere. He was startled to see all of the Pilots and their Repairers gathered in one place. All of them but one. Another room adjoined to the first appeared, and he looked through the glass to see inside. A boy lay inside a transparent ball in that room, his hair flaring with the intense green of EX. 

__

Rioroute! 

The Pilot was writhing upon the bed, his fellows looking on in horror. One of them, a boy with a shock of green hair and wearing a blue robe-like outfit, was pounding on the glass, obviously wanting to be let in. Curiously, none of them were actually inside the chamber. 

__

He obviously needs help, or at least some sort of comfort! Is that what it's like to have your EX fade out? I hope not. 

Clay could see Erts there, dressed in much the same way as his late brother had been. Clay could only imagine how painful it had to be for the telepath, being so close to an obviously malignant EX reaction, but Erts seemed to be bearing up well under the strain. 

__

But why aren't they helping him? And how is he even having this sort of reaction when his EX is defensive? 

Offensive EX, such as the telekinesis required to master the short-range weapons of Tellia Kallisto, as well as the projectile EX utilized by Eeva Leena's Pilot, required precise control or they could go rogue. EX manifestations that were defensive or supportive in nature, like Clay's own memory enhancement, were far less likely to be dangerous, much less cause the sort of reaction Rioroute was undergoing. Clay nibbled at his lip as he watched, trying to absorb every detail he could before his own EX ceased functioning. Erts, his face betraying the strain he was going through, had a few choice words with a woman in white, then opened the door that led into Rioroute's chamber. Gareas tried to leap in after him, but the door slid shut before he made it inside. As Clay watched, Erts typed in a pass code on the console next to the medical pod, opening a circular door in its side. Then, he stepped inside, visibly steeled himself, and took Rioroute's hand in his own. A swish of green hair, and the scene was blocked from his view by a face that held, of all things, amusement. Clay found himself staring into the eyes of the Top, and his knees quivered uncertainly. 

"Seer, you will join us soon. None of my sisters awaits you, but your role will be great nonetheless. Now go." 

She touched his forehead with her right index finger, and then he was looking into his partner's eyes once more. 

__

Clink…Clink…Clink… 

The sound of a cane hitting the floor echoed through the hallways of G.I.S. like a sharp cry in an empty room. At this hour, those halls were deserted, but for the bearer of the cane. 

__

Clink…Clink… 

His bones ached abominably, and the muscles in his legs cried out in protest against the unaccustomed use that they were getting. Yet still he pressed on, ignoring the outraged shouts of a body more frail than the mind that directed it. Urgency did not grip him as it did other men, in intervals and spurts. She was a constant mistress for him, embracing him from behind, keeping him a string pulled taut, just short of snapping. He never saw Her face, but She was there all the same, and he was tired...so tired... Fortunately, the shuttle hangar was not far from his quarters, or he might never have made it there on his own. Of course, any aide on board the big ship would have leaped at the chance to help the Crow, this he knew well. Even at this hour, the useless nurses would have woken to coddle him. But that would mean gossip, and then she would know, and he could not afford that, not yet. 

__

Sometimes, he thought, _I think that I would rather have my lover's sister in her place. Death must be a kinder mistress than the one I currently entertain. _

He chuckled. _Grim thoughts for a grim man. _

Dr. Kuro, or "Crow", as he had come to be called, posed a harsh figure. Once tall, he was stooped now with age and sickness. Every unnecessary ounce of flesh had been stripped from his figure by his constant battle for life. Crow often saw humanity's fight with the mysterious creatures known as VICTIM as a parallel to his own fight against sickness. 

__

VICTIM are a disease to humans as surely as my own is to me. For every man there are a thousand VICTIM, now, and the odds were never good in the first place. 

He sighed as he entered the hangar, his ordeal was only starting. _I loved my work once. Long ago, that was. I fought for humanity in my own way, and I was proud. Even…happy. I was a fool. Alas, but it falls to me to see this folly I have made for myself through to its completion. _

He was at the console of the smallest shuttle now, the one reserved for the infrequent trip to Zion. A simple hacking sequence overrode the security locks on the shuttle. 

__

No one expects a person to try and get down there, I suppose. _Sloppy job done encoding the locks. I'm sure they'll rewrite them as soon as the shuttle comes back, and I pity the man who tries to steal the shuttle after me. _

Disabling the alarms required a bit more finesse, but he had done it all before, and knew all of the required stopgaps and pass codes. All too soon, he was inside the vehicle, preparing to depart through the private docking bay. 

__

I'll be damned before I let another go through the same as you. Your sisters were more fortunate, Death took them when we created their Ingrids. But you remained, though your spirit be rent in two. I do not ask why, for you will never tell me. All I know is that our folly must not be repeated. Goodbye, Teela… 

As the last airlock was released, and he set the main logic drive to autopilot, he felt it rip through him like wildfire. A purely mental shriek of anguish assaulted him, demanding that he turn back. But he could not turn back, he had configured the logic drive so that it could not be altered until he reached his destination. Sleep took him soon after, but even in dreams he could hear her scream.

"What? You're saying they found Number One with her wrists cut? Last night? Clay, I only thought you were crazy before. Now I'm sure of it."

Yamagi frowned at Clay scornfully, but the other boy was irrepressible. 

"Read the report, if you don't believe me!" 

Clay slid out of the computer chair and offered it to Yamagi solemnly. The purple-haired boy, still frowning, sat down on the chair in his friend's place and gazed at the screen. 

"No…this can't be real. You edited the picture." 

"Oh it's real, I assure you. I've run every authenticity check I know, there's no way the electronic signature can be duplicated." 

Even as he looked on, horrified, Yamagi had to admit that Clay was thorough. A full copy of the report, written by a G.I.S. operative, lay on the screen alongside an only slightly distorted image of Number One, lying in a pool of her own blood. 

"I had to reroute one of the G.I.S. security cameras to get the capture. Knew you'd never believe me, otherwise." 

"Have you told anyone else yet? Zero?" 

"I think he already knows." 

Erts could feel his dear friend calling out to him, demanding an explanation, but he hesitated to reach out to Zero with his mind. Zero's emotions were a raging whirlwind of confusion, worry, and anger, and Erts worried seriously for the boy's sanity. How exactly Zero knew of Teela's attempted suicide was beyond Erts, but the knowledge appeared to have driven Zero more than a little mad, at least temporarily. He sat at her bedside in that moment, gazing at her bandaged wrists, and wondered what had caused her to do this. Erts was unseated from his newly created center; the Top simply didn't do things like this. A few Candidates had chosen death over the loss of memory that the PRO-ING crafts brought, but Pilots were always watched carefully, their mental and emotional states monitored carefully for any sign that they might be unsuitable. The other Pilots had taken it upon themselves to sit at her bedside in turns, so that she would never lack for a guardian. Rioroute was in no condition to watch over her, but Yu and Gareas had completed their stints, and Erts had replaced Gareas. No one was certain when she would wake up, or even if she ever would. A blood transfusion had saved her life, but Erts sensed something else, some finer injury to her spirit that kept her from wakefulness. So it was that when he heard the soft, breathy call, he thought it merely his imagination. 

"Erts…" 

The second time he heard it, he looked up and saw Teela's eyes flutter open. She reached out for him weakly, but he did not take her hand. 

"You are not well, Number One, you should rest." 

He tried his best to quiet her and get her to relax, but she would have none of it. 

"Please…" 

She held out her hand, purposeful even in her weakness. He shook his head, but she glared at him meaningfully, and he relented. Clasping her cool hand between his own, he sighed and sank into trance. 

__

:Try to understand the sacrifices that have been made, Erts.: 

He floated in blackness, a sea of nothingness that felt uncannily like space. Visions of times long past flashed before his eyes; Teela smiling at a boy with red hair, Teela lying sick in bed, her mother hovering over her and crooning a forgotten lullaby. Teela in the uniform of a Candidate, the only female Candidate ever to grace G.O.A.'s halls. Teela crying herself sleep at night, Teela armoring her heart against the trials of life that assailed her. He was lost in that ocean of memory, in everything that was Teela Zain Elmes. 

:You are not lost, dear Erts. You know the way. Already you have seen him, he is the key. The key is knowing him, that is what makes us who we are.: 

:Who?: 

A part of him answered, "God", but the sea of Teela told him that was incorrect. 

:He is the last star, the sole survivor, the beginning of all.: 

:WHO?: 

:Rei…: 

He was inside a Goddess, but it was not Heltage. There was no separate force, no sisterly presence holding him. His limbs moved of their own accord, swinging a sword he had never held, yet had held for many years. The scene that unfolded before him was horrific; VICTIM was everywhere, eating everything it could, and destroying what it could not eat. He slashed at countless numbers of them before he saw it, a winking orb of light that flickered on the edge of Ernn Laties' sensors. He turned and stared hard at it, seeing the figure of a boy, cushioned by a bubble of his own EX energy from the rigors of space. 

:Rei…: He was not certain whose thought that was, his, or Teela's, or even if it really mattered. The scene was whisked away to be replaced by another. He sat again at Number One's bedside, but this time he was not on a ship. Looking up, he saw that the ceiling opened to a heavenly blue sky. 

:Pain…: It lashed him like dark lightning, splitting him apart from head to toe. Beside him, Teela writhed and twisted, hurling herself off of the bed. But it did not end, it continued until he…she was divided utterly. Part of her self remained, and the other part flew off to some destination unknown to her. There was a crash, and the flap of a trenchcoat like raven's wings, and then blackness consumed that memory as well. 

He came back to himself, dropping her hand as though it was on fire. A realization came to him then. 

__

Teela does not pilot Ernn Laties. 

He failed to see as she sat up on her own and began to dress, just as though nothing had happened. 

__

Teela is_ Ernn Laties! _


	2. Curriculum 14: Reflection

Note from the author:  Thanks peoplshe, for your reviews, it helps a lot.  This chapter didn't go the way I expected it to, but I think it came out pretty cohesively.  Anyway, enjoy.  Angsty Roose, yum. 

Curriculum 14: Reflection

Roose hated being alone, even more than he had once hated being fat. He was most comfortable in the presence of several friends (preferably Yamagi and Zero), or with Wrecka.

_Then why am I sitting around her, alone?_

He gazed forlornly at the bed Yamagi normally occupied at this hour. Some time before, his friend had received an e-mail, then dashed out of the room with nary an explanation for Roose. Wrecka would be in her own dormitory on the other side of the ship, and Zero in his. Several times, Roose had considered venturing next door to Zero's room, but every time he thought about it, an awful, cold feeling washed over him.

_I wonder what's wrong. There has to be something wrong, something important, else Yamagi would have at least stopped to tell me what happened. Wouldn't he?_

With doubt taking hold of him in cold fingers, and no other recourse for human companionship, Roose was forced to pull out the small mirror he kept in the tiny chest he was allowed to keep personal items in. Wrecka had given it to him halfway through the diet. "Motivation", she had called it, and it had indeed helped him immensely to see that his ordeal was having some visible effect.

He looked into the glass with the old nerves, still instinctively fearing his reflection and what it might show him. A wiry, thin youth looked back at him, large eyes tired-looking and droopy. His mouth was small, never really suited to the vast amounts of food he had once taken in daily, and his ears were slightly outsized, giving him a slightly mousy appearance. For a while, the mirror occupied him; he could at least pretend that there was another person in the room. But it was only a crutch. Eventually, the hollow nature of it sickened him, and he stowed the glass away amongst his belongings again.

_Yamagi, you could at least IM me. They don't disable the messenger service until late, it'd get to me for sure. Gah, why am I being so self-centered? There's a reason, I know it. A good one._

What the rational part of his mind told him did not allay the feeling of loneliness that made its home in his belly. It only made things worse, because the part of him that was hurting rebelled, and it seemed to him that the two Rooses battled it out in his stomach. Realizing that this train of thought would only make him more miserable, he tried to direct it elsewhere.

_They said that my EX is defensive, even if they didn't tell me what it was. That means I'll pilot Agui Kemaia, if I ever make Pilot at all. But then…why does it feel so wrong?_

He had never met the orange Goddess' current Pilot, but he had seen the other boy after Ernest Cuore's funeral. Even in the aftermath of a friend's death, Rioroute had been trying to coax his friends into some semblance of good humor.

_Some might call that callous, and say he should have been crying with the rest of them. I don't think that's so. He was hurting too, he just hurts in a different way._

Roose did not know much about Rioroute, but what he had heard was mostly praise. Mostly. Rio was a known lady's man, but that fault rather paled in comparison to his accomplishments. Of all the current Pilots save Number One, Rioroute had held his post for the longest. Roose could only imagine how difficult it would be to protect all four of the other Goddesses at once. In training, Roose used his shield more often than his gun, usually covering Yamagi and staying out of actual combat himself.

_Taking care of one person mid-battle is bad enough, I'm not sure I could handle four._

Eventually, he exhausted that subject as well, and fell into a fitful slumber. It was not until Yamagi slipped into the room much later that Roose slept soundly, and both of them woke to the sound of the bells.

Tune left her console for a few moments and went over to Leena's terminal. Tears were in those silver eyes, tears that Leena had seen before.

_Goddesses, please say it's not happening again._

Leena opened her arms to her friend, her own console forgotten.

_The boys are on their own now, there's nothing we can do to help them._

Tune sobbed and fell into Leena's embrace with a cry. It was all that Leena could do to keep her own tears back and be strong for her friend. Beneath her, she could here the sounds of Phil Phleira's weeping as well, her worry for the empathy-crazed Rioroute stripping her of her dignity. To her left, Kazuhi bore no sign of any grief or worry, but then, she never did. As Tune shook in her arms, Leena tried to will some strength into her friend, but the weeping would not end. She had no strength to spare for another.

_Type L. At least it's not the same that killed Ernest, I don't think any of us could take that. No one will ever say that they didn't do their duty. They do it too well. Garu, please come back to me._ She stroked Tune's hair with a hand that trembled. _Is this how you felt when he died, Tune? Like everything was suddenly falling to pieces, and you had nothing to catch them in?_

She gazed at her terminal apprehensively, and the picture it showed her was no better than the one it had portrayed when she had looked at it just moments before. Four huge VICTIM had closed in combat with the Ingrids, the vicious Type L. L VICTIM had appetites even larger than they were, as well one trait that made them unique among the myriad of other types.

_Garu's guns are no good against them. His shots just bounce off their slimy hides._

Leena had never hated the VICTIM more than as she sat their with her best friend weeping in her arms, helpless and weak when her Pilot needed her to be strong. Gareas' cries rang through her headset until she could no longer bear it, and she threw it away heatedly.

_Damn you damn you damn you DAMN YOU!_

She wished the VICTIM could hear her, she could have slain them all with her wrath.

"Intelligence, Reneighd Klein. State the enemy's current position."

Teela's cool voice came to him over the com link, but she was not projecting a visual image of herself. Erts found that it was, bizarrely enough, even more difficult to talk to her when he could not see her. He choked down his fear and closed his eyes, letting his EX show him what he needed to know.

"The leader is engaged with Tellia Kallisto, Number One, Area Green 3. The Pilot is uninjured, though his Repairer has disabled the use of the Ingrid's left hand. Two more are attempting to break through Agui Kemaia's shields in Zion 5, it appears that they intend to attack Reneighd Klein. The last…"

The last was trying to attack Ernn Laties, and got a sword through the belly for its trouble.

"Updates every twenty seconds, Reneighd Klein."

"Understood."

He spread his arms wide, sensing the airframe moving in tandem, and poured his EX into the primary focus. There was some interference from the shielding, and the stray rogue attack coming from the direction of Agui Kemaia, but he found it relatively easy to track the movements of the remaining three VICTIM. Type L were the slowest of VICTIM, relying on their natural shielding and size for protection.

_Not that it did them any good against Teela…Ernn Laties._

One of the VICTIM left the assault on the shields to assail Eeva Leena, and Erts relayed the movement to Gareas and Teela immediately. In the mental vision generated by his enhanced EX reaction, the three VICTIM appeared as ugly green spheres of energy, pocked with blackness. Gareas was green as well, though his was pure and untainted. Yu was black as night with no exceptions. Rioroute was a rainbow of colors, sometimes red, sometimes yellow, sometimes violet, always changing. Teela was white.

_Goddesses help us if one of those lights goes out._

As she typed quickly, her fingers flying over the keys of PRO-ING 88's console, Kizna's lips were pressed into a grim smile.  As Zero's Repairer, it had fallen to her to talk his unthinking rage out of him, to endure the punch that had left the rapidly darkening bruise on her cheek.

_At least he was sorry, after._  She thought, entering the commands that would direct power to all the correct parts of the mobile armor.  _Ikhny doesn't even have that.  Oh, Zero, whatever am I going to do with you?_

"Try not to get yourself killed out there."  She had told him, but all the response she had gotten out of him was an incoherent grunt.  It galled her to find that she cared for the bastard; he'd been nothing but trouble for her since they'd met.  _And _he'd made fun of her ears.  Well, he really hadn't, but he had made her reveal them to him before she had wanted, and that was just as bad where she was concerned.

_He's like a little brother.  A really, really, really annoying little brother, but I've heard that most of them are._

In one of the rare moments that Wrecka had thought of anything besides Roose and PRO-ING, she had observed that Kizna and Zero were very much alike, the only possible explanation for why they fought so often.  Kizna had scowled at the girl to quell the thought, but it had taken root in her subconscious, and the realistic part of herself told her that it was true.

But she certainly did not have to like it.

 "Zero, will you listen to me for two seconds?  G.O.A. to Zero!  This is your frigging Repairer paging you!"

There was a long moment of silence, and she was just about to give up from disgust when he replied, "What?"

"About time.  There are three Type L VICTIM out there, I've just gotten the relay from Erts.  Number One's assigned attack pattern TANDEM for the Candidates.  You do remember TANDEM, right?  I've got the plans right here, if you need to review them."

"I remember, you don't have to badger me.  What do you really want?"

She frowned, was it really that easy to hear in her voice?  "TANDEM is a last resort battle algorithm.  PRO-ING are not permitted to engage unless all of the Goddesses fall, and that includes Reneighd Klein."

"I told you, I know the plan.  If you're just going to quote the textbooks at me, I'm shutting down your side of the link."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

She threw her hands up in the air, startling Ihkny, who stood next to her at the console for Hiead's PRO-ING.

_You're impossible, Zero Enna.  How did I get stuck with you, HOW?  Anyone would be better.  I don't care if you're some kind of prodigy, it doesn't give you the right to do this!  Even Hiead…_

She stopped her mental rant there, glancing over at Ikhny.  The girl was near trembling, though her hands were steady at the keys.  As bad as Zero might be, he would never be as bad as Hiead.

"Zero Enna, if you're threatening me…"

"Come on, Kizna, don't even bother.  We both know you're bluffing."

"What?"

She almost cursed; the word was out before she could stop herself.

"You were going to say that you'd quit, if I didn't stop it.  Well, don't bother, you want a Goddess just as bad as me, you said so yourself.  "I wanted to be a Pilot, but girls don't have EX."  Well, if you're going to live your dream through me, we're going to do it my way."

The comment hit her like a slap to the face.  _How can he know me so well, and still know nothing about me?_

"Zero, you can't do anything without a Repairer.  Without _me_."

"And you can't do anything without a Pilot.  So we're even."

Her ear twitched, but she relayed the latest report from Reneighd Klein all the same.  There would definitely be a discussion when he got back.

_If he comes back at all._  She thought, her smile now a frown, but no less tight or grim.  She did not notice as a tear slipped down Ikhny's cheek, and the girl swept it away with a sleeve before Kizna could see.

"Dammit!  Not even the Altege is any good against these things!  What can I do?"

Gareas swung around, trying to find some weak point in the monsters' defenses, pelting them with ammo.  But his shots only served as distractions, it was Rio and Yu who were doing the real work here.

"Eeva Leena!"  Teela's voice rang in his ears harshly.  "Pull back behind the shields!"

"There must be something I can do!"  he shouted back.

"The order is to find haven within Agui Kemaia's shielding, comply."

Garu cursed again, but fell back into the protection of the orange goddess sullenly.  Erts' voice came to him once he'd made it into the shielding.

"Gareas, I have been unable to find any way for Eeva Leena's weaponry to pierce the armor of the VICTIM.  Please remain within range of the shields."

_Ernest would have found something by now._

_:Doubtless.  However, I am the one who is Piloting the scout craft, and I advise you to listen to the counsel of your fellows!  For once, Gareas, use your head instead of your heart.  Your head will bring you through this mission, and back to the woman your Goddess is named for.  Your heart will doom us all.:_

Before Garu could comment on the invasion, Erts retreated from his mind, drawn away by something distressing.

"They've broken through the first levels of shielding!  Rio won't be able to hold them back much longer."  Erts sounded frightened to Garu's ears, and Garu himself was hard pressed not to panic.  Garu opened a channel between his craft and Rioroute's, hoping to find some way to help, but the only sound that came from the cockpit of Agui Kemaia was an insane cackling.

_:Rioroute is drunk on empathic waves, he will not be able to understand you.:_

_Get out of my fucking head you little shit!  I never even let Ernest do this to me!_

_:A pity, you would have learned much.:_

There was something more there, something besides the little blonde boy that Garu was familiar with.  He had never heard Erts speak that way, and while the voice that he heard in his mind was indisputably Erts, there was a feminine presence there as well.

_What the hell is going on?_

"Level two shielding breached!  Retreat is strongly advised!  Number One!"

_Coward!  Craven!  Your brother would never tell us to retreat!_

_:And my brother is dead.:_

Zero banged on the console inside the PRO-ING as he watched the tiny dots on his screen.

"Why isn't Number One _doing_ anything?  Where's the deathblow?  What's wrong?  Kizna!"

"I'm trying to figure it out right now, Zero!  Erts stopped relaying info to us a few seconds ago, I don't know what's wrong!"

"Dammit!"

He clenched and unclenched his hands, trying to decide what to do.  Kizna anticipated that reaction.

"Zero, don't go over there!  If Eeva Leena couldn't hurt them, how do you expect the PRO-ING's guns to be able to do the job?"

"I don't care."

"Like I needed you to tell me _that_."  A few moments of silence.  "Oh no…"

"What?  What is it?"

Zero pressed his hands against his sides to keep himself from lashing out at anything around him.  His knuckles went white around the phantom gun in his hand.

"The VICTIM broke through the shields!  The Goddesses are all fighting hand to hand!"

"I'm going!"

_:You will not.:_

The mental presence was a familiar one, one that he had always associated with friendship, warmth.  Now, it was cold, terrible, somehow more than Erts.  Before Zero could reply, a video window popped up.  It was Clay.

"Zero, look."  Another window popped up next to Clay's, it was a picture of Yamagi.  Zero had never seen Yamagi use his EX, but that was the only explanation for why he had green hair instead of purple.  "It's happening to all of the Candidates with missile EX."

"Huh?"

Several more windows popped up.  "Number 56, Anji Yokohama.  Number 75, Norris Freyalise.  They're all gun fighters, Zero!"

"But what does it mean?"

"Just watch."

Yu had read somewhere that when a man looks into the face of Death, he sees his own reflection.  It had not been a particularly reliable source, and he had discarded the notion without further examination.  It was ridiculous to speculate as to what happened in the moment of death, since those who had experienced it would never tell the tale to anyone living.  But as Yu watched his friends close around him, and danced the dance of death with a huge VICTIM, the tenets of that philosophy seemed to have some meaning.

He and Gareas closed around Reneighd Klein, trying to give the craft some measure of protection, but it was only a matter of time.  In that moment, Yu saw his past; a whirlwind tour of his life.  He had no regrets, it was not in him to regret.  But there was something about looking at his own death's reflection that was both terrible, and beautiful.  He had dreamed of death, and now he would meet it.  He wondered what death would look like.

When the huge spheres of green light came rocketing toward them, Yu did not question, he simply dodged out of the way, bringing Reneighd Klein along with him.  Salvo after salvo of the bright balls of energy slammed into the VICTIM, and while they did not injure the huge creatures, they did succeed in driving them back.  Three new nets of shields spread all around the Ingrids, and Yu knew that he would not look into death's mirror that day.

Phil leaped out of her suspended panel and raced up the steps to Leena's pod.  She blinked when she found Tune there, and Kazuhi walking sedately over as well.  Leena's fingers were flying over the controls like bees after a honey thief.

"I don't believe it!  Areas Blue, Zion, Green, and Orange, all clear!"

Tune cocked her head to one side, listening to a message from her partner.  "The last VICTIM has been eliminated!  Zion is safe!"

Phil's jaw dropped, and Tune giggled hysterically.

"We…won?"  Phil said, wondering what had just happened.

"Affirmative."  Replied Kazuhi.  "All three VICTIM were caught in the deathblow released by Ernn Laties."

"But they can't use the deathblow!  Unless…Rio?"

There was a short pause and some static, then,

"Yeah, what do ya want, Phil Phleira?  You're going to pay for this headache, I swear it."

She let out a whoop that echoed through the halls of G.I.S., and all around, military personnel took up the cry.  They had won. 

Fresh bandages lay on the table beside the washbasin, but she did not apply them just yet.  Her wounds remained fresh, and the battle had ripped open the scabs so that they bled again.  This time, however, she would not suffer to let anyone else to care for her.  As she gazed into the bloody water, she looked at her tired face, still beautiful in weariness, and wondered if he had thought her fair.  She was unaccustomed to such feelings, since she had walled them off for so long.  But in his absence, she was acutely aware of how she missed his dry humor and quiet strength.  In her emptiness, she had not known how much he had come to mean to her.

When she could no longer stand to look at herself, she dashed the surface of the water and began to weep.  


End file.
